☀️ In Today’s Edition

1. Duck and Cover
2. Talking the Talk on Climate
3. What We’re Reading
4. Around the State

Since before he was old enough to drive a car, Chris Yeomans has been duck hunting. He’s now 60, with white hair and a beard, like a tall, skinny Santa Claus. Even with a bad knee, he makes the effort to go out on his camouflaged boat each duck season. 

“It’s not just going out and killing ducks,” he said. “It’s the whole process of making everything right. … You know, camouflaging, going where you’re supposed to go, doing your scouting.”

Like Yeomans, many people Down East value ducks, both culturally and economically. At the same time, sea level rise is threatening this important part of their lives.

This story, from student reporter Alyssa Kim, is the first in a series produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center and the science journalism course at Duke Marine Lab.

On The Wings of Change

Rising seas threaten ducks and duck hunting Down East. How does this affect hunters and artists alike?

“There’s little marsh islands that used to exist that we used to hunt around,” said Yeomans. “They’re gone. … They’ve washed away.”

Have a news tip for our team? You can reach us at scoops@theassemblync.com.

What’s In a Name?

For Karen Amspacher, the changes Down East are impossible to ignore: stands of ghost trees, marsh grasses creeping into front yards, flooding even on sunny days. Yet conversations about what’s causing the changes can be difficult.

In a place where the most important things in life are faith, fishing, and family, climate science has been a tougher conversation. Despite their vulnerability to a warming planet, people Down East seldom use terms like “climate change” or “sea level rise,” Amspacher said.

Tessa Nyhan looks at efforts to bridge the gap between how scientists and locals talk about the problem.

Climate Change By Any Other Name

The coastal southeast is already feeling the consequences of climate change–most people just don’t call it that.

What We’re Reading

Inside You There Are No Wolves: Wolfspeed and its chief financial officer, Neill Reynolds, have “mutually agreed” to part ways, the Triangle Business Journal reports. The company has also lost a CEO and two board members in recent months.

Fort the Win: Cary-based gaming giant Epic came out on top in an anti-trust case it brought against Apple, per the New York Times.

Boots on the Ground: The Guardian looks at agreements between local law enforcement agencies and the federal government that are helping carry out President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement actions, focusing on several in North Carolina.

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